Intersections between two-way highways and divided highways and minor roadways are often unsignalized, particularly in rural areas. Such unsignalized intersections are generally intersections that do not include an active gap regulating system (e.g., a stoplight) that operates to regulate gaps between vehicles traveling on the highway. Such unsignalized intersections also include thru-stop intersections that include a stop sign (or a yield sign) regulating the flow of traffic along the minor roadway, but do not include traffic regulation along the highway.
Unlike signalized intersections, unsignalized intersections do not regulate the flow of traffic along the highway (main roadway). As a result, the unsignalized intersection provides no assistance to the driver of the vehicle positioned at the intersection on the minor roadway (hereinafter “entering vehicle”) regarding whether an intersection entering operation can be safely performed. As used herein, intersection entering operations include, for example, merging into an immediate lane of the highway (i.e., making a right turn), crossing the lanes of the highway and continuing along the minor roadway, and crossing one or more of the lanes of the highway and merging into a lane of the highway (i.e., making a left turn). Accordingly, it is up to the driver of the entering vehicle to determine when a sufficient gap exists between the vehicles approaching the intersection along the main roadway for the driver to safely perform a desired intersection entering operation.
Accidents often occur at unsignalized intersections. Such accidents can be the result of factors that are not in the control of the entering vehicle's driver, such as poor visibility situations, error on the part of the driver of the approaching vehicle (i.e., driving without lights at night, speeding, etc.), or a mechanical problem with the entering vehicle, for example.
However, such accidents can also be a result of the entering vehicle's driver failing to recognize that an insufficient gap exists between the intersection and an oncoming vehicle to safely perform an intersection entering operation. For example, the entering vehicle's driver may misinterpret the lane in which an approaching vehicle is occupying, or underestimate the gap between the entering vehicle and the approaching vehicle including a speed of the approaching vehicle and a distance the approaching vehicle is from the intersection.
There is a continuing need to improve the safety of our roads including at unsignalized intersections. To that end, there exists a need to provide entering drivers with assistance in selecting and identifying an appropriate gap between the unsignalized intersection and approaching vehicles along the main roadway that would allow the driver to safely perform an intersection entering operation.